Clipping the hair of horses



G. F. EVANS.

Shearing Horses.

Patented Sept. 13, 1864.

N, Pzwzs. Phnlo'l'llhngnuher, Washington. a. r.

UNITED STATES {PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. EVANS, OF NORWAY, MAINE.

CLIPPING THE HAIR OF HORSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,171, dated September13, 1864.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. EVANS, a resident of Norway, in thecountyof Oxford and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful or ImprovedMachine for Clipping the Hair of Horses or other Animals, or forShearing the Wool of Sheep and I do hereby declare the same to be fullydescribed in the following specification and represented in theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view, Fig. 2 a frontelevation, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 an end elevation,of it.

In such drawings, A denotes the frame of the machine as having a handle,B, projecting rearward from it, and provided with a standard, O. Astationary plate, knife, or shear, D, is fastened to the under side ofthe frame A, and operates with a rotary series of shears, as seen at E.The journals of the said rotary shear or series of shears are supportedin hangers in the uprights a a of the frame A, which uprights alsosupport a horizontal shaft, F, provided with a crank, G, which is fixedon one end of such shaft F. Near its other extremity the shaft F has agear, H, which engages with a pinion, I, fixed on one end of the rotaryshear E. By revolving the shaft F by means of the crank the rotary shearwill be put in revolution so as to cut off any hair when interposedbetween it and the edge of the stationary shear. Each of the blades ofthe rotary shear I prefer to arrange a little diagonally, as shown inthe drawings, in order that it may cut with a drawing stroke or like oneblade of a pair of scissors with respect to the other blade thereof. Anadjustable gage or comb, K, extends along in front of and underneath thestationary shear, and is sooured to the uprights a a by clamping-screwsc c, which go through slots in the gage and respectively screw into theuprights. Furthermore, the cranked shalt I has a grooved pulley orwheel, L, placed on it so as to be capable of freely revolving on andindependently of it. A chain or line, M, is attached to the pulley, andis wound around it several times, and from it is carried through the eyed in the upper part of the standard 0, and afterward is fastened to aknob or short bar, N. A spiral spring, 0, (coiled around the shaft F,)has its inner end fastened to a stud projecting from one side of thepulley,

the other end of the spring being affixed to the frame A. (See Fig. 4.)The pulley carries a spring pawl, R, which rests on the periphery of aratchet, S, fixed on the shaft F, the whole being arranged as shown inthe drawings. By laying hold of the knob or bar N and drawing it quicklybackward not only will the wheel L be revolved, but it will force. thepawl against the ratchet, and so as to cause the shaft F to revolve andto produce through the intervention of the gears a quick rotary motionof the rotary shear. During the revolutions of the wheel L the springwill be wound up or coiled closer, so that on relieving the line fromthe draft of the hand such spring will be free to and will revolve thewheel, in an opposite direction and will re. wind the line on suchwheel. By means of the wheel, the line, the spring, the pawl, and theratchet a much quicker velocity can be imparted to the rotary shear thancan be effected by means of the crank turned by the hand of theoperative. During the return motion of the wheel the pawl will slip overthe teeth of the ratchet and produce no rotary movement of such ratchet.

By having on the shaft F the crank, as well as other mechanism, asdescribed, for effecting the rotary motions of such shaft, we can oftensave the necessity of putting an undue strain on the line M, which isintended to be used for ordinary or light clipping, but when burrs ormatted hair may becomeinterposed between the shears and be of suchnature as to cause an undue strain on the line, and which would tendeither to injure or break it, we can use the crank in order to enablethe shears to cutthrough the interposed matter or matters. Besides, inclipping or shearing the hair or wool of an animal it frequently occursthat the machine may be in positions where it would be inconvenient torotate its shaft by the crank, such being the case when the machine maybe inverted. Under these circumstances the line M may be used toadvantage.

So there are positions in which it becomes inconvenient for the operatorto use the line M, in which case he can lay hold of and turn the crank.'lhe gage-comb regulates the length to which the hair or wool is to becut, and this may be varied ,in accordance with the distance at whichthe comb of the gage may be set from the stationary knife.

2 &4; 171

I do not claim a horse clipper composed of i 2. The combination of thesame and the stationary and vibrating shears and a combwheel L, the lineM, the ratchet S, the springpawl R, and the spring 0 for opera-ting thegage; but

I claim as my inventionshaft F, as described. 1. My improved horseclipper or shears as GEORGE F EVANS made with the stationary and rotaryshears E, and with the gears H I and cranked Witnesses:

sh aft F, arranged and so as to operate together It. H. EDDY,substantially as specified. F. P. HALE, Jr.

